Pricewatch

· The average price of a house in Northern Ireland is £87,977 (compared to a UK average of £134,100). Prices rose by an average of 9.8 per cent over the year (compared to 18.6 per cent across the UK), according to the Halifax.

· The average homebuyer in Northern Ireland spends 13.7 per cent of their gross income on mortgage payments (compared to a peak of 23 per cent in the early 1990s).

· Housebuying activity picked up in the autumn 'with a return to the market of both buyers and sellers', according to Richard Sealey, area manager for Halifax estate agents.

· The buy-to-let market remains buoyant in Belfast, says Sealey. 'The riverside apartments continue to be in demand and selling well. Sales of investment properties to let to students within central Belfast have also been strong.' But he adds: 'Reduced activity at the bottom of the market is making it more difficult to sell houses further up the chain, leading to some delay in the sale of higher-priced property.'